Jar of Hearts
by TomRiddleCrazy
Summary: She'd always had mixed feelings towards Tom. Now she has to deal with Lord Voldemort. What's the Heiress of Gryffindor to do? Sequel to Heir of Gryffindor.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: First off, this is a sequel to _Heir of Gryffindor. _If you hadn't read that, I suggest you read it before reading this. **

**Second, I didn't write all of this. I thought JK Rowling could describe it much better than I could! Not much, I didn't write any of this except for one measly sentence.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

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**Chapter 1: Prologue**

The cold was agony. It attacked him like fire. His brain itself seemed to have frozen as he pushed through the dark water to the bottom and reached out, groping for the sword. His fingers closed around the hilt and he pulled it upward.

Then something closed tight around his neck. He thought of water weeds, though nothing had brushed against him as he dived, and raised his empty hand to free himself. It was not weed. The chain of the Horcrux had tightened and was slowly constricting his windpipe.

_Help…someone….sword…Gryffindor, _he thought desperately.

Harry kicked widely, trying to push himself back to the surface, but merely propelled himself into the rocky side of the pool. Thrashing, suffocating, he scrabbled at the strangling chain, his frozen fingers unable to loosen it, and now little lights were popping inside his head, and he was going to drown, there was nothing left, nothing he could do, and the arms that closed around his chest were surely Death's…

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**A/N: Should I ask for reviews?**

**Ah, what the heck! Do it anyway! ;) But I'm not making you...**

**I promise you that my chapters are longer than this.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**Chapter 2**

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She was feeling something. It was a something she'd never felt before.

Cold?

No, she knows what the cold feels like. It was something else, something inhuman.

She was lying in a bed of iced-over leaves. Opening her eyes, she watched the small white flakes fall slowly from the dark sky. It had to be the season of winter.

She sat up and brushed the dead leaves off. Her hair fell down her frame in dark blonde curls. She wobbly stood up and swung her long hair in front of her, brushing the leaves out of her tangled hair. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the area. She was surrounded by tall trees and snow covered the ground.

"Dear Godric," Krista murmured. "Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse and she suddenly felt the sudden desire for something cold running down her throat.

"Water." She started walking, keeping her ears open for any sounds of running water. But why would there be running water in winter? It'd be frozen.

She paused in her walking and furrowed her brows. She'd never been to such a forest. How did she end up here?

She started to unconsciously stroke her cheek. Then she found something that seemed a little off. Her skin didn't feel right in this one place. If only she had a mirror.

"Or a wand," she sighed. It wasn't like she depended her life on magic. No, she only used it when it was absolutely necessary. And she didn't know how to apparate. If she did, she'd be at her little house by the river. With her husband…and her children…

Wait!

It all suddenly came back to her.

_Tom. Tom. Tom. _She repeated the name several times in her head. Each time she chanted it, she hated it even more. She'll kill him!

But…wasn't she dead? She looked down and examined her hands. They were cold out in the snow, but they still emitted a bit of warmth. She remembered the curse coming at her though! It hit right on her left cheek. The one that had a spot that didn't feel right.

"Ouch – ow – gerroff! What in the -? Hermione – OW!"

The loud voice caused her to come back to her surroundings. She stood on her guard, looking around for the source of the voice. But she didn't see anything.

"You – complete – _arse _– Ronald – Weasley!" a girl said this time.

Did she just hear Weasley? Evan and Ethan's image flashed through her mind. Their fiery red hair, their freckles, and last but not least, their goofy smiles that promised a good prank. Maybe he was related to the twins!

But where the bloody hell was the sound coming from?

She looked up at the moon, barely visible through the thickness of the trees. She briefly closed her eyes before opening them in agitation when she heard the feminine voice again.

"You – crawl – back – here – after – weeks – and weeks – oh, _where's my wand_?"

A lover's quarrel? It was a possibility. The girl seemed to be sending punches to the Weasley boy named Ronald.

_"Protego!" _Another new voice met her ears and she wondered how many were there. She heard something fall to the ground that sounded closely like a body.

"Hermione!" the newest voice shouted. "Calm – "

"I will not calm down!" Hermione screamed. "Give me back my wand! _Give it back to me_!"

The only thing Krista knew was that she definitely did not want to be in either of the boys' shoes.

"Hermione, will you please – "

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, Harry Potter!" she interrupted again with a screech. "Don't you dare! Give it back now! And YOU!"

Krista sighed and leaned against the tree. She wondered if they had any water. She could just give a shout out and wait for a response. She decided against it. They'd probably become silent instantly.

She slid down the tree and got into a comfortable position. Their bickering went on for a bit longer before it quieted some. She could still hear their voices, but it was only a mumble. She wondered if they had meant to put a silencing charm on wherever they were hiding. Maybe the word slipped or was mispronounced?

They obviously had an invisible charm of some sort. And it annoyed her to pieces. She didn't like the feeling of being watched by someone she couldn't see.

There voices continued to be a mumble until it was completely silent. She guessed they had gone to sleep. She wasn't tired, for she had been, uh, dead for some time. She didn't know how long, but she hoped that she could go home tomorrow after getting help from these travelers.

**VvV**

Harry stepped out of the warmth of the tent and subconsciously rubbed his arms. He didn't expect Hermione's anger to abate overnight, so he was not surprised when she only responded by only dirty looks and pointed silences when they had all gotten up.

His eyes wandered over the area. A frown formed on his face when his eyes stayed on this one spot. In that spot, a girl around their age lay against a tree, her eyes shut in slumber. She almost looked like a painting, still and beautiful. Snowflakes stuck to her long dark blonde hair, her skin was porcelain pale, as if she was just a doll, and a small white dress framed her petite body, giving no protection from the cold.

He took careful steps and stopped when he was directly in front of her. He was taking a big change because he was now visible to the public. But at least he got a closer look at her from this point of view. She looked frail, almost as if one touch would shatter her. Her legs were tucked under her bum but her arms were at her sides and her hands rested on the ground. Her skin had a bluish tint, no doubt because of the weather.

He grasped the Snatcher's wand that Ron had grabbed and pointed it down at the girl.

But he lowered it again. He couldn't risk it. It wasn't his wand, so it probably wouldn't work well. He'd probably end up hurting her instead of helping.

He was too deep in thought to notice Krista's eyes open and look up into his eyes.

Emerald met emerald.

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**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, favorites, story alerts, and author alerts! :)  
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**I hope you enjoyed reading chapter two!**

**Review Replies:**

**HermioneandMarcus: You're my first reviewer! HAZAH!  
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**geekyreader1234: This soon enough?  
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**RainbowSkittles123: I'll have you know that I don't regard the last fifty pages of Deathly Hallows. One of my friends said this the other day: "Face it, (insert my real name here), Tom Riddle dies." I said in reply, "what are you talking about? Harry dies!"**

**Honey Luna: I'm pretty sure Krista is in this! x)  
**

**Dark Angel 792: *dances and sings* My stories are AMAZING! Oh, and your review reply for chapter 38 of HoG: YES! I MADE SOMEONE CRY! ONE OF MY LIFETIME GOALS!...Please excuse my other personality. It's rather sadistic.  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Enjoy reading! I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, story alerted, and favorited.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**Chapter 3**

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They stared into each others almost identical eyes for several quiet moments. Then Harry noticed a distinct characteristic of the girl.

There was lightning bolt scar on her cheek.

"You've survived the Killing Curse?"

His question received an odd look from her. She then decided to get a good look of him. With a pang, she noticed how he resembled Tom in a way. They both had black hair, though Harry's was untidy unlike Tom's. Tom had had dark green eyes, and Harry's was emerald green like hers. But Harry wasn't as pale as Tom was. Tom always seemed to make the sickly pale color look good.

Krista opened her mouth to talk. "I must have." Her voice was still scratchy from lack of water. She looked back into his eyes and asked, "Do you have water?"

He nodded and grabbed her hand. She sighed at the warmth. He led her through the invisible bubble and she took in the small tent. But it wasn't small when they entered. Quite the opposite actually.

Ron and Hermione swung their heads and stared at the newcomer with surprise. "Who is this?" Hermione snapped at Harry, clearly showing that she was upset Harry had brought a stranger into their invisible bubble.

"She – um," Harry looked at Krista for an answer.

Her eyes went from Harry, to Hermione, and then to Ron. She immediately knew he was a Weasley at first sight. She looked back to Harry.

"Um, my name is Socky McFluffers?" He smiled nervously and received looks of disbelief. She shrunk back lightly. "Fine, fine, I'm Krista Lovegood." She held out her hand, awaiting a good handshake. She brought it back down to her side when no one made a move to shake her hand.

"Lovegood?" Ron Weasley finally broke the silence.

She nodded. "I'm glad you can use your listening abilities."

"Are you related to Luna Lovegood?" Harry then asked.

She raised her eyebrows. "I've never heard of her." Did that mean that during the time she was apparently dead, Ansel had moved on to another wife? Was she this Luna Lovegood?

"She goes to Hogwarts." Ron informed her and her previous thought went away. If she was still in Hogwarts, then she couldn't possibly be married to Ansel. "But you _do _look a lot like her."

She looked a lot like her? How could that be?

"Who's her father?" She asked, looking at Ron.

Ron looked as if he was about to answer but was cut off by Hermione

"I don't think we should be telling her all of this, Ron." Hermione said to him, but stared at Krista. "We don't know her."

She sent a glare at the bushy-haired witch.

"Well, excuse me if I'm totally clueless! I'd just like to know if I'm related to any of these people!" She breathed heavily through her nose before looking away from all three of them, her hands crossed over her chest.

"Is your Patronus a doe?" Ron question slipped out in a rush.

Krista shook her head in denial and confusion. "No, I've always had some difficulty casting a Patronus. I managed it once, and it was a lion."

"Oh," he said with a disappointed look.

Harry visibly jumped as if he just remembered something. "Look!" His index finger pointed to her cheek. "She's got the same scar that I do!"

Ron and Hermione stared her face and she watched as their eyes seemed to bulge out of their faces. "Guess you're not so famous anymore, are you, Harry?"

Harry made an annoyed face at Ron.

She suddenly wished she had a mirror. A scar? She had a scar on her face? That's when a mirror on the table caught her eye. She hastily walked over to it and picked it up. Examining herself in the mirror, she ran a finger down the lightning bolt shaped scar on her cheek. She remembered the stinging pain on her cheek when she was hit by the Killing Curse. It must have hit her cheek.

She placed the mirror back down and swung on her heels, scrutinizing Harry. As if knowing what she was looking for, he lifted up his bangs of his messy hair. Her eyes fell on his scar. It was identical to the one on her cheek.

"Who are you?"

Ron gaped at her. "You don't know who he is?"

She noticed a glass of water on the table next to the mirror and took a big gulp. Turning back to the redhead, she said, "I don't know who any of you are. Although you do look like a Weasley. Do you know an Evan and Ethan Weasley?" She took another greedy swallow of water.

Krista received a strange look from Ron. "Yeah, they are my great uncles."

Spitting out the water in shock, she clutched her heart. "You're kidding me, right?" She half screeched the question.

Ron gave her another funny look and shook his head.

She brushed her hair out of her face. "This Luna girl," she said in a rush, "could you please tell me her father's name?"

Harry spoke through the tense air. "Xenophilius Lovegood."

Her eyes widened and she started pacing and muttering gibberish to herself. "This is awful! Awful!"

"Why?" Hermione and Ron said in union. Hermione cast a dirty look at Ron then brought her eyes back to Krista.

She stopped pacing and turned sharply towards the trio. "You see this?" Her finger pointed shakily to the scar imprinted on her cheek. "I've been _dead _ever since Xeno was only a year old! I'm his mother!"

All three of their jaws dropped. "That's not possible." Hermione regained her composure before the others.

"Trust me, I'm as confused as you are," Krista spoke through her teeth.

"Did you look like _that _when you died?" He gestured to her seventeen year old body.

She nodded. "The 1940s were probably different from now."

Harry then decided to have a parade of questions.

"Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"What house were you in?"

"Considering my Patronus, I was in Gryffindor."

"Did you know Tom Riddle?"

Now, there was a question she hadn't anticipated.

Her lips formed a line and she nodded. Why had he asked that question? Did he know Tom Riddle? Was he famous in this time?

"Why would you ask that?" She voiced her thoughts.

Harry looked down. "He's – the most feared wizard around." He looked back into her eyes. "But he's a coward if you ask me."

Krista laughed. "I agree with you there."

"You two weren't on good terms?"

She shook her head. "We had an odd relationship." She wasn't just going to spill the beans on being the heiress of Gryffindor, or that they had had a sexual relationship which had caused –

"Do you know a Bellatrix Lo – I mean, Black?" she blurted out.

Ugly looks came across their faces.

"She's Bellatrix Lestrange now." So, she had gotten married. "And Vo – You-Know-Who's best Death Eater."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Pardon?"

Harry sighed. "You-Know-Who is Tom Riddle."

Her heart seemed to stop for the tiniest moment. "Wha – what's a Death Eater?"

Ron answered. He must have seemed left out of the conversation. "A follower of You-Know-Who."

A grimace formed on her face. "Excuse me. I'm going to be sick."

Krista's face was practically green when she dashed out of the tent.

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**So, Krista is pretty much caught up now. Imagine finding out your daughter is a follower of your sadistic ex-lover who murdered you. That's must be quite a bad feeling. **

**Review Replies: **

**RainbowSkittles123: How is she alive? We'll find out later!**

**ILoveLuke98: Exactly! I think the song describes the Kristamort relationship!**

**Dark Angel 792: I can't wait for Volderz to make his appearance! x) Hopefully, it'll be soon.**

**~Review~  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**Chapter 4**

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"I want to go see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione said, cutting the peaceful silence that Krista was very much enjoying. She knew Hermione wasn't too fond of her. She probably thought she was a spy for Tom.

Or – was it You-Know-Who now?

He must have done some terrible things to get his named feared by the wizarding race. He had already killed quite a few people when he finally decided to get rid of her as well. How would he react if he saw her now?

She tried desperately to ignore the fact that Hermione had just stated she wanted to go see her own son. Would he recognize her? He probably had some photo in the house of her and Ansel. Was Ansel still alive? Her heart raced quietly. The last words he had said to her were so awful. She had even cried over them. She wondered how he felt when he found her dead body on the carpet by the fireplace.

She still felt sick at the fact Bellatrix was now a follower of Tom. Of course, following your own father would seem perfectly normal. But Tom was not normal in any way. He was sick, twisted, and evil. Does he go by that ridiculous name Lord Voldemort?

"Why?" Harry asked Hermione.

She took a deep breath and said, "It's that mark, the mark in _Beedle the Bard. _Look at this!" She then thrust some book in Harry's face. But it was too far off for Krista to read its title. She remembered reading _The Tales of_ _Beedle the Bard. _It had some nice stories to read before going to sleep.

"Er – what are you – ?" Ron was immediately silenced with a look from Hermione.

"It keeps cropping up, doesn't it?" she said. "I know Viktor said it was Grindelwald's mark –"

Krista's ears perked up at the sound of her father's name.

"– but it was definitely on that old grave in Godric's Hollow, and the dates on the headstone were long before Grindelwald came along! And now this! Well, we can't ask Dumbledore or Grindelwald what it means – I don't even know if Grindelwald's still alive –"

Krista's face fell. What was that supposed to mean? She didn't know whether her father was still alive but Dumbledore? What had happened to him?

"– but we can ask Mr. Lovegood. He was wearing the symbol at the wedding. I'm sure this is important, Harry!"

It sure sounded important to Krista.

Harry didn't answer immediately. He looked into Hermione's eager face, then to Krista who was seated away from them, and then back to Hermione.

"Hermione, we don't need another Godric's Hollow –"

_Great, _Krista thought, _another name I happen to be related to. _

"– We talked ourselves into going there, and –"

"But it keeps appearing, Harry! Dumbledore left me _The Tales of Beedle the Bard, _how do you know we're not supposed to find out about the sign?" Hermione had interrupted Harry yet again.

"Here we go again!" Harry looked exasperated. "We keep trying to convince ourselves Dumbledore left us secret signs and clues –"

"The Deluminator turned out to be pretty useful," piped up Ron. "I think Hermione's right, I think we ought to go and see Lovegood."

Harry threw Ron a dark look. He was quite sure Ron's support of Hermione had little to do with a desire to know the meaning of the triangular rune.

"It won't be like Godric's Hollow," Ron added, "Lovegood's on your side, Harry, _The Quibbler_'s been for you all along, it keeps telling everyone they've got to help you!"

"I'm sure this is important!" said Hermione earnestly. Krista felt completely left out of the conversation by now. But maybe she could stay with her son? A thought hit her then. It wouldn't help if Xeno became confused at the sight of her. She'd have to change her appearance.

"But don't you think if it was, Dumbledore would have told me about it before he died?"

Krista's heart sank at that sentence. Dumbledore died? Why? How? When? Who killed him?

"Maybe…maybe it's something you need to find out for yourself," said Hermione with a faint air of clutching at straws.

"Yeah," said Ron sycophantically, "that makes sense."

"No, it doesn't," snapped Hermione, "but I still think we ought to talk to Mr. Lovegood. A symbol that links Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Godric's Hollow? Harry, I'm sure we ought to know about this!"

It all seemed to connect to Krista, she pondered. She knew Dumbledore, Grindelwald happened to be her bloody father, and she was a descendant of Godric Gryffindor. Then again, she really didn't know what Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking for.

"I think we should vote on it," said Ron. "Those in favor of going to see Lovegood –"

His hand flew into the air before Hermione's. Hermione's lips quivered suspiciously as she raised her own.

All of their eyes flew to Krista. She raised an eyebrow. "You honestly think I have a say in this? I don't even know what you're looking for," she paused for a moment, "but if it means going to see my son…"

Her hand slowly rose. "Count me in." She threw a sympathetic look to Harry.

"Outvoted, Harry, sorry," said Ron, clapping him on the back.

"Fine," said Harry, half amused, half irritated. He then motioned for Hermione and Ron to huddle around him. "Only, once we've seen Lovegood, let's try and look for some Horcruxes, shall we?" he said in a hushed tone. They couldn't risk telling Krista.

They all straightened up. "Where do the Lovegoods live, anyway?" He looked to Krista.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Ron cut her off. "They're not far from my place."

Krista nodded. "Yeah, we lived by the Weasleys." She smiled awkwardly before asking, "can I borrow someone's wand?"

They gave her a suspicious look. "Just for the moment, please. I need to alter my appearance so Xenophilius won't lose his head."

Harry hesitated before holding out the stolen wand. "Thanks!" she said and held the mirror in one hand and the wand in the other. She moved the wand over her face and her eyes changed into a bright blue, but then it seemed to flicker and one remained green while the other stayed blue. She shrugged, liking it, and moved the wand through her hair.

Her mismatched eyes seemed to bulge out of her head and her mouth opened in a silent scream when her dark blond hair seemed to explode with color. The length grew shorter, reaching her shoulders, but her hair was now an array of colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, even white now replaced the dirty blonde hair.

"Merlin's beard! I look like some sort of clown!" She screeched and turned on them.

All three couldn't contain their laughter and their hands grabbed their own sides.

"At least," Ron spoke between laughs, "he won't be – able to – focus on – your face!"

Krista blushed and twitched. This had to be the most embarrassing moment of her life. She looked down at the dark wand. It was its entire fault!

Once they had contained their laughter, save a few giggles, all four of them apparated on the spot.

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**Author's Note: So, it took a little longer to update. Mainly because I've been terribly sick. I haven't been able to eat solid foods and I have heartburn. It's been happening for a whole bloody week now! I've lost weight...which is awful because I never had much to loose. Oh, well, today I feel better!**

**Review Replies:**

**geekyreader1234: No, she hasn't gone back in time and doesn't have a time turner. She died and now she's back? All will be revealed soon.**

**ElizabethTheWeird: Yeah, it's not WEIRD at all!**

**Dark Angel 792: Well, now, I feel sick! X(**

**~Don't forget to review!~  
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**RainbowSkittles123: Xeno will be in the next chapter! And maaaaybe Voldy and Bella in chapter six.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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**Chapter 5**

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After a few times at Apparating and Disapparating in several wrong places, they finally made it. The Lovegoods' most strange-looking house stood high and proud, touching the sky. It was a great black cylinder with a ghostly moon hanging behind it in the afternoon sky.

"This is your house?" Ron asked.

Krista nodded with her forearm on her forehead, trying to shield herself from the wild wind that whipped their hair and clothes. Ron reached the top of the hill first since he had the longest legs.

She noticed three hand-painted signs out of the corner of her eye when she finally arrived at the house. The first read,

**THE QUIBBLER. EDITOR: X. LOVEGOOD**

the second,

**PICK YOUR OWN MISTLETOE**

the third,

**KEEP OFF THE DIRIGIBLE PLUMS**

The gate creaked as they opened it and the four of them walked down the zigzagging path to the front door. The door was overgrown with several different and odd plants. It was then Krista questioned the sanity of her family. Why did her son seem to have an obsession with the oddest things? The house had seriously changed, the path was never this strange, and she had never liked keeping plants around the house! She guessed she hadn't like the dirt it needed.

She looked up at a little owl with a slightly flattened, hawklike head and it returned its stare from one of the branches of a crab apple tree.

Hermione was the first one to make a move. She knocked three times on the thick black door, which was studded with iron nails and bore a knocker shaped like an eagle. Why an eagle? She remembered a lion shaped knocker before. Had Ansel told Xeno of her heritage? Or did he simply like birds better than lions?

Krista then remembered about her scar. She didn't want any unneeded questions, so she quickly stroked her scar and hoped it had vanished. She _really _wanted her wand back. Maybe it was in the house! The thought made her lips curl ever so slightly. She didn't feel safe without her cherry wood wand with its phoenix feather core.

She visibly jumped when the door was flung open. Her eyes wandered over to form of her son. He wasn't…what she expected him to be. He was barefoot, was wearing what appeared to be a stained nightshirt, and his hair was long like white candyfloss that was now dirty and unkempt.

Her heart sank at the sight of this pitiful looking man.

"What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want?" he cried in a high-pitched, looking first at Hermione since she was standing closest to the door, then to Krista, then at Ron, and finally to Harry. His mouth fell open in a perfect, comical O.

"Hello, Mr. Lovegood," said Harry, stepping up and holding out his hand. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Krista's son didn't take his hand, although the eye that was not pointing inward at his nose slid straight to the scar on Harry's forehead. She bit her lip and tried to calm to tears that had gathered in her eyes. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't.

"Would it be okay if we came in?" Harry asked. "There's something we'd like to ask you."

"I…I'm not sure that's advisable," whispered Xenophilius. "Rather a shock…My word…I…I'm afraid I don't really think I ought to –"

"It won't take long," said Harry, slightly disappointed by this less-than-warm welcome.

"I – oh, all right then. Come in, quickly. _Quickly!_"

They were barely over the threshold when Xenophilius slammed the door shut behind them. They room looked stranger than it had been to Krista. It was perfectly circular, and it felt like being inside a giant pepper pot. Everything was curved to fit the walls. It was a bit overwhelming for Krista. She didn't like the remodeling. She wanted it back to the way it was.

Xenophilius led them up a spiral staircase, still looking extremely uncomfortable. The room above was a combination of living room and workplace, and it was more cluttered than the kitchen. Krista recognized the fireplace against the wall. The one she had died in front of.

She looked around the shelves. Photos were scattered here and there. She saw one of a clean and happy Xenophilius and of a younger girl, who looked around fifteen or sixteen. She realized this was her granddaughter. Her eyes wandered some more and spotted what seemed to be a picture of the mother of her granddaughter. She held smiles in her eyes. Krista wandered where her daughter-in-law and granddaughter could be.

Then she found her own picture. Ansel held her close, kissing her cheek and running his hand across her pregnant tummy. More tears gathered in her eyes. Was Ansel still alive? Dumbledore was dead, her daughter was following Tom, and she felt so out of place.

"Excuse me, sir." She turned to Xenophilius who lifted his head in response.

"Y-yes?"

"Are your parents still alive?" She asked rather boldly.

Xeno's eyes darted to her hair then back to the floor. "My mother was killed only a year after I was born by-by You-Know-Who."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes widened as they looked at her.

He nervously continued. "D-dad died when I-I was twelve years old. He always had a depressed look whenever he th-thought about mother. You-Know-Who killed him too."

Krista allowed the tears to spill over now. "P-please e-excuse me," she muttered and ran back down the spiraling staircase and through the front door. She ran until she had slammed shut the gate and collapsed onto her knees, her hand over her chest.

Soon, her tears stopped. She leaned back against the fence and looked up at the sky. She wasn't sure how much time had passed and she honestly didn't care. Were Max and Uncle Rufus still alive? Probably not. Tom probably killed them too.

The seconds went by and Krista kept staring at the sky. She squinted and stood up. Where those…people on broomsticks?

She shrieked and ducked as one flew over her. Drying her tears, she turned and looked at the house. She felt the need to run inside, but she stood frozen on the spot. The two men on the broomsticks landed in the garden. One looked back at her and shot a binding spell in her direction. She toppled over and landed harshly on the ground. He took his time walking over to her while the other blasted the door open to the house.

"Well, aren't you the weirdest looking thing?" he said in a rough voice. Of course, he was referring to her hair. He looked down at her and pulled her up by the invisible ropes. "But it could also be a concealment charm," he murmured thoughtfully then waved his wand over her face. Her hair became its original color and length and her blue eye returned to an emerald green.

He looked her up and down in approval before swinging her over his shoulder. As he entered the house, he said to the other man, "He was probably fretting over this little girl here, Travers."

Krista struggled and writhed against the man, but immediately stopped when he lightly spanked her bum. She blushed furiously and stared down at the ground.

There was a bang and a scream of pain from Xenophilius.

"No…no…upstairs…Potter!"

"We appreciate the girl, Lovegood." He set her down and held her back against his front. "You two look related. Are you?"

Krista's eyes looked up and met Xenophilius's own eyes. He looked momentarily stunned at the sight of her. She frowned and barely shook her head, hoping to hint at Xenophlius. She had a feeling that these men were followers of Tom, and she didn't want to see him. She didn't want to have anything to do with him.

He just stood there, still looking stunned.

"The place looks like it's about to fall in, Selwyn," Travers' cool voice spoke. "The stairs are completely blocked. Could try clearing it? Might bring the place down."

Krista didn't want to start crying again. But if her house was about to fall down, why shouldn't she?

"_Homenum revelio,_" Travers said and after a moment continued. "There's someone up there all right, Selwyn."

"You can have your little girl, Luna, Lovegood," said Selwyn, "if you get up those stairs and bring me down Harry Potter. But if this is a plot, if it's a trick, if you've got an accomplice waiting up there to ambush us, we'll see if we can spare a bit of your daughter for you to bury."

Xenophilius gave a wail of fear and despair which made Krista's heart break. Then he tried to get through the debris on the stairs. Krista gulped and stood rigid against Selwyn. Her eyes scrunched shut and she tried to think back to happier times.

"I knew it," hissed Selwyn after a few seconds. Krista opened her eyes and saw Xeno's face empty of hope. "Harry Potter was never here. You are a fool. You'll be punished for such insolence."

He shot a stunning spell to Xenophilius and then the same spell to her.

She happily welcomed the unconscious state of peace.

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**Author's Note: There will be a new character in the next chapter! Yay!**

**Review Replies:**

**Dark Angel 792: Was it good? *sweatdrop* **

**IlOvEcHoCoLaTe: I feel SO much better! I'm able to eat! YAY! It's my favorite pastime. x)**

**avrilavril: I'm pretty sure they'll meet in chapter seven, but you'll see Volders in the next chapter!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not gain any profit from writing this for Harry Potter does belong to J.K. Rowling. **

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**Chapter 6**

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Voldemort glided around the high walls of the black fortress named Nermengard, looking up to the topmost window, the highest tower.

Time to fly.

He rose into the dark night, flying straight up to the window at the very top of the tower. The window was the merest slit in the black rock, not big enough for a man to enter. A skeletal figure was just visible through it, curled beneath a blanket. Dead or sleeping?

The emaciated figure stirred beneath its thin blanket and rolled over toward him, eyes opening in a skull of a face. The frail man sat up, great sunken eyes fixed upon Voldemort, and then he smiled. Most of his teeth were gone.

"So, you have come. I thought you would…one day. But your journey was pointless. I never had it."

"You lie!" he hissed, his crimson eyes burning into Grindelwald.

"Tell me, Tom," the older one rasped and Voldemort's glared harder at the name, but listened as he continued, "how was it like killing my only daughter?"

The snake-like man felt as if his blood boiled at the topic. "It was _immensely _pleasing and satisfying."

Grindelwald snickered. "She wasn't a good enough shag for you?"

Voldemort sneered. "It was only the connection of the Heirs that wanted the sex. Now tell me where the wand is and I shall spare your pathetic life."

The skeletal wizard, yet not inhuman like Voldemort's body, started laughing toothlessly at him.

Then Voldemort went rigid. He was enraged at the summons he felt – he had warned them, he had told them to summon him for nothing less than Potter. If they were mistaken…

"Kill me, then!" demanded the old man. "You will not win, you cannot win! That wand will never, ever be yours –"

And Voldemort's fury broke. A burst of green light filled the prison room and the frail old body was lifted from its hard bed and then fell back, lifeless, and Voldemort returned to the window, his wrath barely controllable. They would suffer his retribution if they had no good reason for calling him back.

Perhaps it was the subject of the Heiress of Gryffindor that brought him to this mood.

**...**

Krista had no idea that there were dungeons in the Department of Ministries. Perhaps it was a new installment over the past years.

But now all she could think about was how damn hungry she was. She'd been stuck in here for days and she only received two meals a day, which consisted of bread and water. She overheard that they had brought Xenophilius to Azkaban, and since she was only a witness to the scene, she had been dumped here.

A man called Pius Thicknesse had asked who she was and she refused to answer them. They probably thought she was mute.

She noticed herself getting thinner, and after some time, she got used to the feeling of being hungry. Her stomach rumbled and she paid no heed. She savored every last crumb of the bread and every drop of water, even if it was stale from time to time.

Her single cell only had a hard bed and the cold floor, whenever she felt the need for a bathroom, it disappeared. At least that was a good thing. But she felt dirty without a bath or even a shower! She'd only used a shower once in her lifetime and didn't enjoy the feeling of her hair in her face or the water in her face at that time.

Instead of the cold and hard bed that was against the wall, she sat down in the corner of the cell with her legs against her chest and her arms circling her legs. She counted the dark spots and scratches on the walls and ceiling in her time.

The hours passed and Krista felt her eyes drooping. She was about to climb back onto the hard bed when she felt her heart skip a beat. An aura very close by seemed to be the cause of it. She breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the pulling feeling.

At last, she gave in and scurried over to the door and wound her hands around the thick bars to look out through the small window. She looked left then to the right, and she saw a black robe turn the corner. She faintly heard the mumbled talking of Pius Thicknesse grow fainter and fainter until it was gone.

That was Thicknesse and…

She couldn't bring herself to finish the statement. Tears gathered in her eyes and her hand let go and stretched out through the window. She had felt the connection. Traces of it still burned in her chest.

Her frail hand gave up on reaching and retreated back into the cell. Instead it rubbed against her now burning eyes. She couldn't see. The tears blocked her vision and she fell back to the ground. If only she could scream, he'd come back and take her away from here. But no, she didn't want to see him. He'd probably treat her worse than the Ministry.

After minutes of silence she got back up and walked over to the bed. Questions formed through her head.

Would she ever get out of here?

Why was she brought back to life?

Why didn't Tom feel the connection?

Maybe he _had _felt it, but just decided to ignore it. He never seemed too fond of Krista anyway. He only saw her as a t_hing. _A toy to play with. A toy that he had thrown away once he had gotten bored of it.

Krista sobbed herself to sleep.

**...**

More time passed and she found herself becoming as hollow as a fallen tree. She had run out of tears, sadness filling her. She wished she was dead again. No one of this time knew her or loved her. Xenophilius was pitiful, and apparently, Bellatrix was insane. Everyone else she cared for were probably dead by now. Tom was a mass murderer and was most liking ignoring the connection between them. She felt so _alone._

Her head was against the cold wall when the sirens were heard. The door to her cell swung open and she shakily got up. She looked out into the gloomy hall and noticed that all the other prisoners' doors had been opened as well. They were taking the chance to escape.

A dark shape rocketed through the hall until he stood in front of her. He was dressed in all black and Krista noticed that he looked like a ninja from Japan. The only visible skin was the skin around his eyes. His greenish dark eyes took in her form that leaned against the doorframe.

"Are you not going to escape?" His voice was smooth yet rough at the same time.

She opened her mouth and spoke in a raspy voice, "I have nowhere to go."

His mouth formed a line. "Come," he said as he grabbed her arm. He pulled her through the crowd of stumbling people.

Her head swung from side to side to get a good look around. "Where are the – the people guarding?"

The man did not falter in his steps. "There is a battle going on. My target wanted as many recruits as possible."

She looked into his eyes. "Your target?"

He returned her stare even as he maneuvered through the throng of people. "I am not to tell anyone, but you shall be the exception. My mission is to assassinate You-Know-Who."

She shook her head in disbelief, but she wouldn't question the man. "Why won't people call him by his real name?"

"Before, people had been afraid to speak his name, but now, a jinx has been placed on it."

Krista blinked. "His ridiculous made-up name?"

He nodded and continued to pull her until they came to a circular room. No one was in here so she guessed the exit was somewhere else. She noticed out of the corner of her eyes how he walked over to the wall and pulled a lever of some sort. Instantly, the roof above them began to open and the cloudy sky was unveiled. She turned to the man to get a better look at him in the light.

Besides how he was clad in only a black tight suit that covered everything except his eyes, she noticed that there was also a scabbard at his side.

The sound of flapping met her ears and she looked up again.

Her face instantly contorted into something of fright. Her eyes widened to the point where they seemed to bulge out of her head and her upper lip curled up into a sneer.

A dark gray dragon landed on its feet a few meters beside her.

The man clad in black motioned for her to get on. She then shook her head in denial. "No! I _hate _dragons!" she shouted, recalling the time she was chased by a Hungarian Horntail.

The stranger made a sound of annoyance and was at her side in an instant and lifted her onto the dragon.

Frightened, she wrapped her arms loosely around the dragon's neck so she wouldn't fall.

"Wait!" she called out when he turned his back to her. He halted in his movements. "Where is this going to take me?"

"Hogwarts," he answered immediately, "where you shall defeat the Heir of Slytherin."

His response made her falter. How could she fight Tom? She'd given up the last time and let him take her life. What was stopping him from doing it again? Why did this man want her to defeat Tom?

"What's your name?" she asked as he started moving again.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"My name is El."

Then the dragon took off and Krista held on for her life.

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**A/N: El is a ninja! No, not really, silly readers.**

**Heads up: I'll only respond to two reviews from now on, so make them good! ;) (But still keep leaving reviews to make me feel motivated to write)  
**

**DOUBLE heads up: I have a FictionPress now so if you want to go check out some of my original stories, don't be shy! Of course I'm under the same Pen Name!  
**

**Review Replies:**

**ElizabethTheWierd: I suppose he can't do that now. :( The house is ruined and Xeno is in Azkaban.  
**

**Dark Angel 792: Yes, Krista is getting rather emotional and now she's caught of glimpse of Voldemort (or rather, his robe)!**

**~Drop me a review~  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter.**

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**Chapter 7**

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The cool air felt nice with the combination of the late afternoon sun. Krista had molded herself onto the dragon's back, every inch of her pressed against the scaly skin. She sighed, content, and closed her eyes.

She was used to time passing by. The wind flowed through her hair, and she focused on the moon rising behind her. She hadn't felt so calm in such a long time.

After a while, she opened her eyes and gasped. The bloody dragon was diving _down_! Had she mentioned how much she hated dragons? Thankfully, it landed on its feet, and crouched so she could get off.

She did so and waited. She had no idea where she was, so now what?

The dragon huffed and swung its head to the right, hoping Krista would get the gist.

"That way?"

The dragon seemed to understand and nodded. Just as she was about to take a step, it made a sort of whining sound and shook. Krista turned back to the dragon and noticed a sack wrapped around its body. She unhooked it and squat down on the ground.

Opening the sack, she pulled out a canteen of water, a cloak, a blanket, a wrapped piece of bread, and –

"My wand!" she exclaimed happily and stuffed everything else back in the sack. She swung it around to her side and stood back up.

The dragon huffed and nodded its head to her, and she nodded back. It took off back to where they came from. She looked to the left and started walking. After only half an hour, she arrived in a very familiar place.

The village of Hogsmeade was deserted, a desert of its former self. The silence gave her goose bumps. She tried her best to be as sneaky as possible as she made her way around Hogsmeade. But she was a Gryffindor, not a Slytherin. It was far too silent in Hogsmeade, and she didn't want herself to get caught.

When she reached the lake, she looked on at the castle she used to call home. There was no warm glow that came from the castle like it had before. It was dark. Too dark for her tastes.

She suddenly wondered what her dorm looked like. Was it as she left it? Had no one occupied it since she herself? Hadn't it only been for the Heir of Gryffindor?

Krista was going to give herself a headache that she didn't need if she continued asking herself questions that she couldn't answer.

Looking at her reflection in the water, she noticed how hollow her cheeks were compared to before, and her hair lanky and without shine. She missed how she used to be. Why did she have to be alive?

_How _was she alive? _Why? _The assassin, El, seemed to have something to do with it. She'd rather be dead than be here.

oOo

"Bloody Potter boy," Bellatrix murmured, "always number one on the Dark Lord's list. Why couldn't _I _be his first priority?"

She sniffed. They had just gotten back from Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and the Dark Lord had thrown a fit about Potter taking his cup, thus causing the deaths of many goblins.

Still, she should be his top priority, not Potter. After all, she _was _his own seed.

She had figured it out when she was a student at Hogwarts. Her mother, Druella, never treated her the way a daughter should be treated. She always favored Andromeda and Narcissa, that is, before Andromeda was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born.

She remembered the day she told Narcissa.

"_See here, Cissy?" Bellatrix nudged her younger sister in the Slytherin dorms. The dark-haired witch held a photo in her hand, urging Narcissa to look at it. _

_Narcissa leaned over and said, "She looks a bit like you, Bella. Could she be related to the Black family?"_

_She shook her head, her curls falling out of her loose bun. "No, no, this was Krista Hart, Gryffindor who graduated the same time Cygnus did." _

_Narcissa gave Bellatrix a scrutinizing look. "Why do you call father by his first name? You have started doing that lately." _

_Bellatrix turned and dug through her bag. "That's because Cygnus isn't my real father. This is him!" She pulled out another picture with a man with wavy, black locks that brushed against his flawless pale skin. There was an overall bored expression on his face, that is, except for his eyes. His eyes were dark green, almost black, and with hard cruelty and emitting coldness. _

_She sighed and ran her index finger down the picture. She turned to Narcissa and frowned. _

_Narcissa had both her hands over her eyes, her pink lips tight. _

"_What are you doing, Cissy?" _

_The blonde shook her head. "I can't look! I don't want to betray Lucius by gawking at other men." _

_Bellatrix didn't hold back her laugh. "Lucius is a pig-headed jerk. I cannot believe you like him." _

And then there was the day she actually met her father.

"_Dad, we're home!" she called out into the house, frustrated on how he had not come to pick them up from Platform 9 ¾. He could have sent mother! While Andromeda and Narcissa went quietly up the stairs to unpack their suitcases, she left hers at the door and stomped to Cygnus' study. _

"_Father!" She knocked loudly on the door. _

"_Come in, Bella," Cygnus said through the door, his voice straining. _

_She turned the knob and pushed the door open, her eyes falling on the hooded man in the armchair across from Cygnus. _

_She hesitated when she felt the dark magic coming off him in waves. The door clicked shut behind her and she stood awkwardly, looking back and forth between both men. _

"_Bellatrix, I would like you to meet Lord Voldemort." He nodded his head towards the hooded man. _

"_Lord who?" She voiced her question. Was he the lord of some estate? _

_Voldemort pulled his hood down and gazed at her with crimson eyes. _

_Bellatrix gasped. Even though his features seemed to have melted, his hair looked without life, and his skin was chalk white instead of a deathly pale, the eyes held the same cruel and cold gleam. This was Tom Marvolo Riddle, her father. _

"_It seems my appearance has shocked your daughter, Cygnus." His voice was high and icy, and he pronounced his S's like a snake. _

"_Forgive me, my lord." She bent down on one knee and bowed her head in respect. _

_A grin etched across his face, looking like a cat that had just caught a bird. He reached forward and grabbed her hand, feeling her skin under his cold touch. Her eyes met his as he motioned her to stand. Then he brought her hand to his thin lips and pressed slightly. _

_She blushed and pulled her hand back after he let go, her eyes unable to leave his even after several moments. _

Sighing dreamily, Bellatrix's eyes wandered across her room. One of the items that stood out the most was a bright red scarf.

_Bellatrix tiptoed up the steps to Voldemort's quarters. It was the middle of the night, and she had slipped out of her room. She was done admiring the mark on her arm and wanted to see the man who had branded her as one of his Death Eaters. _

_Pressing her ear to his door, she listened carefully. _

_A feminine moan sounded from inside. _

_Blushing furiously in anger, she moved from the door and sat across from it. She wasn't too fond of other women being intimate with their lord. She had always thought that her mother was the only one for him. Even though she was long dead, he had allowed her to have his child. _

_Judging by the photos, her mother looked like a fragile doll. Did her father only want her because of how she looked? Even Dark Lords could make rash choices fresh out of Hogwarts such as getting a young woman pregnant. A married young woman at that. _

_The door opened and Bellatrix glared at the woman stepping out in a thin red nightgown. And it went so well with the scarf she put over her neck to hide the bite marks. _

"_Well, if it isn't little Bella," the woman whispered, her eyes giving off a haughty look. _

"_I graduated last year. I am hardly little anymore, Gizelle," she hissed in a hushed tone. _

_Gizelle chuckled and began walking down the hall, followed by Bellatrix who had murder in her eyes. "You don't deserve to be in the Dark Lord's bed." _

_The other woman halted and turned to Bella. "Jealous, love?" _

_Bellatrix's lip curled, disgusted. The thought of having an incestuous relationship with her father sickened her. Gizelle giggled much to her annoyance and resumed walking down the hall with her head high._

_Gizelle's corpse was found in her room the next day, no trace on who or what killed her. _

_Bellatrix never told._

She felt giddy at the memory. She had kept the scarf in secret, and she always mocked it whenever she had the chance.

"Mrs. Lestrange," someone spoke from the other side of the door.

She opened the door and stepped out, giving a brief greeting the masked Death Eater.

"It is time to leave."

Bellatrix followed the other Death Eater with a hop in her step.

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**Author's Note: Sorry for this later than usual update, I suffered from a bit of writer's block. I had planned on making the Battle of Hogwarts this chapter, but decided to delay it until next.**

**Review Replies: **

**Honey Luna: I'm so glad you say I capture Voldemort's character well, and you'll see how he is in the next chapter. **

**Dark Angel 792: You'll have to wait another chapter then... *avoids flying tomatoes***

**Reviews equal love.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I do not make any profit from writing this.**

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**Chapter 8**

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It's difficult to describe how she got into Hogwarts. She had been getting a bit chilly by the lack and had pulled out the cloak that was in her bag. Well, turns out, it was an Invisibility cloak.

What did El mean by there was a battle? It was so silent in the castle. Sure, there was an occasional person in black robes who looked to be on patrol, and they didn't look like the friendliest of people. Hogwarts did not have the proper management these days.

She maneuvered her ways, making sure to stay near the wall in case something came down the hall. Then she finally reached her destination.

And she almost shouted in frustration. The painting with the chubby boy was gone! And thus, so was the door. She kicked the wall, the cloak straining against the force, and angry tears welled up in her eyes. This had been the first home, room, and bed she had ever had.

Why was she even here? Tom wasn't here, or maybe he was. Maybe he was somewhere in this castle. But would they let that evil bastard in? She sure hoped not.

Leaving the corridor, she went to the Astronomy Tower, a place where she could always find some sort of peace. She grasped the railing and looked down. She had never seen a place so lifeless.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." Krista shrieked and spun on her heels, looking for the person with the high voice. She clenched at her heart, but realized that it had only been an amplified voice, judging on how it seemed to echo. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

Bloody hell, this guy sounded familiar. That is, the way he spoke sounded familiar, not the actual voice.

"Give me Harry Potter." Krista's eyes widened briefly. The Harry she had met in the woods? "And none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded.

"You have until midnight."

She stayed silent. That had been Tom speaking. He truly was awful, and he sounded just as prejudice as he had been before. 'I do not want to spill _magical _blood.'

She left the tower, wandering aimlessly, her cloak folding on her arm. She didn't see a point in hiding. There were obviously _good _people here. Stopping, she bit her lip. Though, she didn't consider herself good because of the fact that she had slept with the man that was causing terror in the castle. He sounded so _menacing. _

Her thoughts were interrupted by shouts and yells coming from a nearby corridor. Curious, she headed towards the noise. Sticking close to the wall, she saw two redheads dueling masked and hooded men. She gasped when she recognized Harry, Ron, and Hermione. So it _must_ be thisHarry Potter that Tom wanted.

"Hello, Minister!" An older redheaded boy bellowed and sent a jinx at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

Krista snorted. Thicknesse deserved it after locking her in the blasted cell.

"You're joking, Perce!" shouted yet another redheaded boy. There were far too many Weasleys to go around. She guessed that his real name was Percy, and Perce was a nickname between the brothers. He knocked over a Death Eater with three separate Stunning spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. "You actually _are _joking, Perce….I don't think I've heard you joke since you were –"

The air exploded. Krista screeched and leapt backwards to avoid the debris flying through the air, causing her back to slam into the hard wall. Screams and yells met her eyes and hoped that the Weasleys and their friends had not been severely injured. She still held Evan and Ethan's smiles to her heart.

Cold air told her that the side of the castle had been blown away. Then she heard a terrible cry that pulled at her insides, that expressed agony of a kind neither flame nor curse could cause, and she timidly opened her eyes.

Three redheaded men were grouped on the ground where the wall had been blasted apart.

"No – no – no!" someone was shouting. "No! Fred! No!"

And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.

She felt her eyes tear up, but could not help them from spilling over, leaving streaks of wet, warm tears. She pretended not to see the body fall past the hole blown into the side of the school as she fell to the ground, dodging the spells aimed at Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys that were still breathing.

Harry shouted, but she did not hear. She surmised that the words weren't meant for her anyway. Then Hermione screamed. Slowly, Krista turned and her shining with more unshed tears widened.

An Acromantula had joined the battle.

Harry and Ron shouted a spell; they both collided and the monster was blown backward, its legs jerking horribly, and vanished into the darkness.

"It brought friends!" Harry called to the others. His eyes briefly met Krista's, and he looked at her with surprise. Before either could say anything, more giant spiders started crawling through the hole. Harry shot Stunning spell after Stunning spell, knocking them out of the castle like dominos.

Krista struggled to her feet when the floor only a few inches away from her was shot with a nasty hex, obviously meant for her.

"Let's move, NOW!" Harry shouted, pushing Hermione ahead of him with Ron. He stooped down to seize Fred's body under the armpits. Percy, realizing what Harry was trying to do, stopped clinging to the body and helped. Together, avoiding curses being thrown at them, they hauled Fred out of the way.

After making sure the body was well hidden in a niche where a suit of armor had stood earlier, Harry took off after Ron and Hermione, seemingly forgetting about Krista's presence for the time being.

She retreated from the body, finding a safe corridor for now. Slouching against the wall, she stared at her hands that were shaking from pure fright. She clenched here fists, nails digging into the palm of her hand, and fell to the ground with a thud.

Unclenching her fists, she stared at the bloody crescent-shaped marks on her palm. She inspected her nails that had the slightest bit of blood on the tips. Then, her hands fell to the ground, and she exhaled shakily.

"Oh, hello there."

Krista's head whipped to the left, meeting silvery grey eyes. A girl, around her physical age, with waist-length, straggly, dirty blonde hair was standing a few meters away, staring at her with a dreamy gaze.

Her breath caught in her throat. This girl had an uncanny resemblance to her.

"You look just like a photo of Gran Gran."

She couldn't find the words to speak. This was her granddaughter, and she couldn't even open her mouth to say it!

"Well, it was nice meeting you. I must be getting back to the battle. You should join too."

And with that being said, she turned back around and left without a care in the world.

"A-ansel.." More tears fell down her face. She didn't bother to wipe them away. Her sobs echoed in the corridor, and getting up, a determined look came over her face. She _would _fight. She still had family. Family that she should take care of.

She sprinted off to the direction in which her granddaughter had gone, and she hurriedly sped down the flight of many, many familiar stairs.

She stopped abruptly when the air around her had frozen. She looked out of the iced-over window and stared, intrigued. Shapes moved out in the darkness, swirling figures of concentrated blackness, moving in a great wave towards the castle, their faces hooded and their breathing rattled…

The happiness felt pulled away from her. So these were dementors, the wretched creatures that fed off the human happiness, causing depression and despair. She cursed and started down the stairs again, coming to a stop at the Great Hall. She spotted Harry and the others, but his eyes were on the hundred dementors. They advanced, gliding toward them, sucking their way closer to Harry.

Ron's silver terrier burst into the air, flickered feebly, and expired. Hermione's otter twisted in midair and faded. Then, a silver hare, boar, and a fox soared past Harry, Ron, Hermione, and herself. The dementors fell back before the creatures' approach. Krista turned and met her granddaughter's eyes. She was accompanied by two other boys.

"That's right," she said encouragingly, "That's right, Harry. Come on, think of something happy."

"Something happy?" Harry said, his voice cracked.

"We're still here," she whispered, "we're still fighting. Come on, now."

Krista felt awkward doing and saying nothing. "She's right, Harry." They all turned to her. "You can't give up just because a few dementors decided to make an appearance. Alright, so there are more than a few, but you can't lose all hope and happiness."

Harry nodded, and Luna gave Krista a thankful smile. There was a silver spark, then a wavering light, and then, with great effort, the stag burst from the end of Harry's wand. It cantered forward, and now the dementors scattered in earnest, and immediately the night was mild again, but the sounds of the surrounding battle was still loud in their ears.

With a roar and an earth-quaking tremor, a giant came lurching out of the darkness from the direction of the forest, brandishing a club taller than any of them.

"RUN!" Harry shouted, but the others needed no telling. They all scattered, and not a second too soon, for next moment the creature's vast foot had fallen exactly where they had been standing.

Krista flourished her wand and shot a Stunning spell near a cloaked Death Eater. He fell to his side. She lost sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but paid no heed. Whatever they were doing had nothing to do with her.

Several minutes past with her ducking and casting spells at others. She felt adrenaline rushing through her veins, and she willed herself not to let the power take over her. Last time that had happened was during her stay with her dearest father.

She panted, trying to catch her breath. Then, quite suddenly a high, cold voice spoke. She heard him so clearly as if he stood right beside her, his breath on the back of her neck, a deathblow away. Everyone seemed to freeze in the midst of fighting.

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

The Death Eaters fled, and minutes later, the dead were in the center of the Great Hall. The room was too crowded for Krista; she backed up and hit the wall, and frowned deeply.

How many times did she have to say she hated Tom? Once was enough to get the point. She shielded her eyes with her arm, unable to look at the dead. It reminded her of her own death, and how she cheated it.

She had a sudden urge to go into the Forbidden Forest and return the favor to Tom. Instead, she stayed, back against the wall. Her head hung low, her neck straining. The will to fight was gone.

While the rest were treating the injured, she did nothing, thought nothing, and heard nothing. Minutes, or hours, probably in between passed, and she unshielded her eyes.

His voice returned.

"Harry Potter is dead."

There were gasps, and those who didn't make a sound were shocked to the point of muteness.

"He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

They left the castle, too scared to do otherwise, and Krista joined the crowd.

"NO!" someone screamed, though she could not see whom. The scream was followed by a cackle from another woman farther away.

"No!"

"_No!_"

"Harry! HARRY!"

People around her started yelling and screaming abuse at the Death Eaters, until –

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, the same time her heart pounded. There was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all.

Krista looked up at the moon with wide eyes and felt the power absorb into her skin. She whispered to herself to make sure it had worked, then smile.

This was her chance to destroy him.

She quietly made her way through the crowd, and stood behind a professor. Her dark blonde hair covered her perspiring face, sticking to it. She didn't want Tom to notice her yet. But she saw him, saw what he had become, and it made her slightly queasy. He had the frame of a skeleton, he had slits for a nose, his skin was as white as chalk, and his eyes were a bright crimson.

"It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

Hagrid gently lowered the body of Harry to the ground.

"You see?" said Voldemort, striding backward and forward right beside Harry."Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" yelled Ron from somewhere to her left, and the charm on everyone broke, and the shouting and screaming commenced. A louder bang extinguished their voices once more.

Krista's eyes twitched as she looked up at the moon once more.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," said Voldemort, and there was relish in his voice, "killed while trying to save himself –"

Krista felt someone push her aside, and a bang, followed by a flash of light, then a grunt of pain. A boy was disarmed by Voldemort, and she though him foolish but brave to try to injure Tom. He must be a Gryffindor. Voldemort threw the challenger's wand aside and laughed.

"And who is this?" he said in a hiss. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

A woman with wild, dark hair gave a delighted laugh.

"It is Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the Aurors, remember?"

"Ah, yes, I remember," said Voldemort, looking down at Neville, who was struggling back to his feet, unarmed and unprotected, standing in the no-man's-land between the people of Hogwarts and the Death Eaters. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you, my brave boy?" Voldemort asked Neville, who stood facing him, his empty hands curled into fists.

"So what if I am?" said Neville loudly.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need you kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville, showing his Gryffindor, that is, if he was one. "Dumbledore's Army~" he shouted, and there was an answering cheer from the crowd, whom Voldemort's Silencing Charms seemed unable to hold.

"Very well," said Voldemort, his voice silky and dangerous. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head," he said quietly, "be it."

He waved his wand, and only a few seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something raggedy flew into Voldemort's hand. He shook the musty object and it dangled, empty and ragged. It was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

Though the question was no meant for her, her chest was filled with pent-up rage. "Not on my watch," she whispered furiously as she pushed the professor aside and whipping her hair back.

"What's so bad about the other Houses, _Tom_?" she sounded her voice, her chest heaving.

Voldemort froze in his wand movement, and his eyes cast to the Gryffindor. His red eyes widened in utter surprise, his mouth opening the slightest bit. "How?" he breathed, and there was sick greed on his face.

Disgusting, sick greed.

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**Author's Note: It's been a while since I last updated, but I made this chapter extra long! (Much, _much_, longer than I usually do.) Of course, a lot of this came from Deathly Hallows chapters 31, 32, and 34, but it's written from Krista's point in the crowd, not Harry's.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not gain any profit by writing this. J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not I.**

**Warning: Spoilers ahead!**

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**Chapter 9**

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The wind blew furiously, and Krista stared coldly at what was left of Tom Riddle. He stepped forward, his robes billowing behind him.

"How?" he repeated, and his eyes roved over her cheek. "No one died for you.."

"No, I was a coward when I died. Unable to face you. To fight you. Now I see things differently. Fight to the death? You obviously didn't win. You weren't _meant _to win."

The Heir of Gryffindor and the Heir of Slytherin were destined to fight to the death. Her eyes flickered to the moon. She had the upper hand.

"Lord Voldemort always wins!"

She took an uneasy step forward. "Not today," she whispered as she drew her wand. Her finger felt the smoothness of the cherry wood, and she was determined to kill him. To avenge Harry's death. To avenge _her _death.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as an older woman, perhaps in her forties, stepped forward with a wild and curious look on her face. Her hair was tangled and black, seemingly lost its old shine.

"Krista? Krista Lovegood?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, and Krista's wandhand twitched.

That couldn't be…

"It is." Either the look on her face had given her away, or Tom had actually read her mind. "It's your daughter, Hart." Funny he had chosen that name. "It's _our _daughter."

Bellatrix gasped and whipped her head to her Lord, a grin forming. That was the first time he actually acknowledged the fact that she was his only kin.

Murmurs of confusion could be heard from both sides, and Krista faltered again. He was trying to get to her, and using their own daughter to do it!

"Fight me, Voldemort!" she yelled the name that he had always wanted to hear from her lips. "Don't you dare manipulate me!"

He tsked and threw the hat aside, and it fell by Neville Longbottom.

"When have I ever manipulated you, darling?"

"Is that a trick question?" Her voice grew higher in exhilaration. "You've manipulated me ever since I stepped foot in this castle!"

They kept their eye-to-eye contact, not paying attention to any others.

And then many things happened at the same moment.

They heard an uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering loud war cries.

At the same time, a giant came lumbering around the side of the castle and yelled, "HAGGAR!" His cry was answered by roars from Tom's giants. They ran at the lone giant like bull elephants, making the earth quake. Krista broke eye contact with Tom and willed herself not the fall.

Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows where suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise.

Krista turned her head and watched as Neville drew something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle –

The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of the stampeding centaurs, and yet it seemed to draw ever eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Tom's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet –

"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "HARRY – WHERE'S HARRY?"

Sure enough, Harry's body was nowhere to be seen.

Chaos reigned. The charging centaurs were scattering the Death Eaters, everyone was fleeing the giants' stamping feet, and nearer and nearer thundered the reinforcements that had come from who knew where.

A thin, skeletal hand wound around her upper arm, and she felt herself being pulled through the chaos.

"Let me go! Don't touch me, you monster!" she screamed and tried to pull herself out of the hold, but his grip was unbreakable, despite on how thin his hands looked. They actually looked like spider's legs. Creepy, long, thin…

He fired spells from his wand as he backed into the Great Hall, still screaming instructions to his followers as he sent curses flying from left to right.

She desperately searched herself for her wand, but found it gone.

"You shall not be wielding a wand from now on," Tom hissed in her ear, and she shuttered.

"What do you want from me?" she screamed in his ear, hoping to permanently damage his hearing.

He did not answer. Instead, he waved his wand at her and she was pulled up with a great bit of force. A light pink shrouded her vision, and was _floating. _Tom had let her go and now she was floating in what seemed to be a pink bubble. She was now directly above the battle near the ceiling. Why had he put her up here? Was she being _that _much of a bother?

Apparently, she had been…

Tom was in the center of the battle, and he was striking and smiting all within reach. Krista felt utterly useless not being able to fight, and being trapped in this godforsaken bubble. A _bubble _of all things! Couldn't he at least use a cage, like a villain would keep his victims?

He was now dueling a witch that looked around her actual age and not her physical, a tall black wizard with broad shoulders and a bald head, and her old Potions teacher Slughorn. The irony on how he was dueling Tom, his star pupil, was great. They wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him.

Her daughter, Bellatrix, was fighting too, only fifty yards away from Tom. She also dueled three at once. Hermione Granger, her granddaughter, and a redheaded girl, who was no doubt a Weasley. All three battled their hardest, but Bellatrix was equal to them. Bellatrix shot the Killing Curse at the Weasley girl, who missed it by only an inch.

Krista's breath caught in her throat. Her own daughter using the very same spell that had killed her own mother: it was devastating.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

The words even penetrated her bubble. Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms. Bellatrix spun on the spot and laughed at the mother.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel.

Krista watched in fear. She didn't know who would win. She didn't want Mrs. Weasley to lose, but neither did she want her own daughter to lose, insane as she may be.

Bellatrix's smile faltered and became a snarl as Mrs. Weasley slashed and twirled her wand. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked. Both women were fighting to kill.

Mrs. Weasley shouted at others to get back when they came to her aid.

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights. Voldemort and his three opponents, Bellatrix and Mrs. Weasley, and Krista couldn't take her eyes off of them.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, capering as Mrs. Weasley's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

Krista's blood ran cold, and a few tears fell on the bubble's interior surface. It felt as if Bellatrix was taunting _her, _and not Mrs. Weasley. Xenophilius had caused sorrow in her heart, but not as much as Bellatrix was causing.

"You – will – never – touch – our – children – again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Bellatrix laughed an exhilarated laugh as Mrs. Weasley's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart. Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and both Voldemort and Krista screamed.

Krista's face fell against the coolness of the bubble, her face contorted in despair and fury.

All three of Tom's opponents were blasted backwards, flailing and writhing through the air, as Tom's own fury at the fall of his own blood exploded with the force of a bomb. He raised his wand and directed it at Molly Weasley.

"_Protego!_"

Voldemort stared around for the source of the spell and voice.

Harry Potter pulled off his Invisibility Cloak. He was never truly dead all this time.

Krista sneered down at him. And he had just watched as her only daughter died!

The yell of shock, the cheers, the screams on every side of "Harry!" "HE'S ALIVE!" were stifled at once. The crowd was afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

"I don't want anyone else to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort hissed.

"Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "This isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Harry simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."

Horcruxes. She remembered the word, hearing it from Tom at one point in her past.

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

"Accident was it, when my mother died to save me?" asked Harry, and Krista was briefly reminded on how she decided to die for her whole family, and her anger towards Harry dissipated the slightest bit.

They were still moving sideways, both of them, in that perfect circle, maintaining the same distance from each other, but she paid more attention to Voldemort. He moved like a snake, fluid and even. His movements matched his looks.

"Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident, that I didn't defend myself tonight, and still survived, and returned to fight again?"

"_Accidents_!" screamed Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and the watching crowd was frozen as if Petrified, and of the hundreds in the Hall, nobody seemed to breathe but they two."Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as they circled, and stared into each other's eyes, green into red. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again.

Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people - "

"But you did not!"

" - I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"

"_You dare_ -"

"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle. I know lots of important things that you don't. Want to hear some, before you make another big mistake?"

Voldemort did not speak, but prowled in a circle, and Krista's heart clenched at his next words.

"Is it love again?" he said, his snake's face jeering. "Dumbledore favorite solution, _love_, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? _Love_, which did not prevent me stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter - and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse. So what will stop you dying now when I strike?"

Shock came across Krista's face. Dumbledore had fallen from a tower? Surely, it had not been the Astronomy Tower, had it? If it was – oh, so many events had happened in that tower.

"Just one thing," said Harry, and still they circled each other, wrapped in each other, focusing on no other.

"If it is not love that will save you this time," said Voldemort, "you must believe that you have magic that I do not, or else a weapon more powerful than mine?"

"I believe both," said Harry, and he saw shock flit across the snakelike face, though it was instantly dispelled; Voldemort began to laugh, and the sound was more frightening than his screams; humorless and insane, it echoed around the silent Hall.

"You think _you_ know more magic than I do?" he said. "Than _I_, than Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?"

"Oh he dreamed of it," said Harry, "but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak!" screamed Voldemort. "Too weak to dare, too weak to take what might have been his, what will be mine!"

"No, he was cleverer than you," said Harry, "a better wizard, a better man."

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!"

"You thought you did," said Harry, "but you were wrong."

For the first time, the watching crowd stirred as the hundreds of people around the walls drew breath as one.

"_Dumbledore is dead_!" Voldemort hurled the words at Harry. "His body decays in the marble tomb in the grounds of this castle, I have seen it, Potter, and he will not return!"

"Yes, Dumbledore is dead," said Harry calmly, "but you didn't have him killed. He chose his own manner of dying, chose it months before he died, arranged the whole thing with the man you thought was your servant."

"What childish dream is this?" said Voldemort, but still he did not strike, and his red eyes did not waver from Harry's.

"Severus Snape wasn't yours," said Harry. "Snape was Dumbledore's. Dumbledore's from the moment you starting hunting down my mother. And you never realized it, because of the thing you can't understand. You never saw Snape cast a Patronus, did you, Riddle?"

Voldemort did not answer. They continued to circle each other like wolves about to tear each other apart.

"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized," he said as he saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He desired her, that was all, as all men desire a woman's touch," sneered Voldemort, "but when she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him - "

"Of course he told you that," said Harry, "but he was Dumbledore's spy from the moment you threatened her, and he's been working against you ever since! Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him!"

"It matters not!" shrieked Voldemort, who had followed every word with rapt attention, but now let out a cackle of mad laughter. "It matters not whether Snape was mine or Dumbledore's, or what petty obstacles they tried to put in my path! I crushed them as I crushed your mother, Snape's supposed great _love_! Oh, but it all makes sense, Potter, and in ways that you do not understand!

"Dumbledore was trying to keep the Elder Wand from me! He intended that Snape should be the true master of the wand! But I got there ahead of you, little boy - I reached the wand before you could get your hands on it, I understood the truth before you caught up. I killed Severus Snape three hours ago, and the Elder Wand, the Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny is truly mine! Dumbledore's last plan went wrong, Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, it did." said Harry. "You're right. But before you try to kill me, I'd advise you think what you've done . . . . Think, and try for some remorse, Riddle. . . ."

"What is this?"

Never once had anything shocked Voldemort like this. His pupils contracted to thin slits, the skin around his eyes whiten. Krista tried to understand, why had the sudden mention of remorse stunned Tom so much?

"It's your one last chance," said Harry, "it's all you've got left. . . . I've seen what you'll be otherwise. . . . Be a man. . . try. . . Try for some remorse. . . ."

"You dare - ?" said Voldemort again.

"Yes, I dare," said Harry, "because Dumbledore's last plan hasn't backfired on me at all. It's backfired on you, Riddle."

Voldemort's hand was trembling on the Elder Wand, and Harry gripped the one he had very tightly. Krista could feel a the tension building up, the climax only moments away.

"That wand still isn't working properly for you because you murdered the wrong person. Severus Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand. He never defeated Dumbledore."

"He killed –"

"Aren't you listening? Snape never beat Dumbledore! Dumbledore's death was planned between them! Dumbledore intended to die, undefeated, the wand's last true master! If all had gone as planned, the wand's power would have died with him, because it had never been won from him!"

"But then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand!" Voldemort's voice shook with malicious pleasure. "I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against the last master's wishes! Its power is mine!"

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance . . ."

Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and Krista could feel the awful curse coming, feel it building inside the wand pointed at Harry's face.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone.

"But what does it matter?" he said softly. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy . . ."

"But you're too late," said Harry. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took his wand from him."

Harry twitched the hawthorn wand, and all the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it, even if Krista was a bit far from it.

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

Krista shrieked as a red-glow flashed against the ceiling, too intent on the two below her. The edge of the dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both faces of Harry and Voldemort at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_"

The echoes of the two voices were drowned out by the bang of the two spells hitting each other head on. Golden flames erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marking the point where the spells had collided.

Krista watched as the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning right by her cage and towards Harry. And he caught it with the skill of a Seeker in his free hand.

Voldemort's own rebounded curse hit him straight in the chest, and he stumbled backwards. His long-fingered hand felt the fabric right above his heart, where the curse had been only a moment ago.

Krista studied Harry's face, and she saw confusion etched and printed there.

"No more Horcruxes you say, Potter?" His cold, high laugh had Harry shaking. "Tell me, how many did you actually destroy?"

Harry stood there, and he had the expression that shook everyone. His hope, his determination was gone. He looked so lost.

"Including me, seven." His voice was not as strong as it had been before, but was not weak either.

"Including you?" Voldemort echoed, comprehension coming to his face. "I see now, but I never intended you to be one of my Horcruxes. No, you were my _eighth_ Horcrux, Potter." He chuckled, feeling confident of himself now. "Which one did you miss? You had an entire year to search."

"But Dumbledore –"

"That old fool? He must have done quite a bit of research on me. I'm flattered, really."

Harry stayed silent, a glare in his eyes.

Voldemort smirked and snapped his fingers, and Krista felt a sick pull on her and the bubble. He extended a long arm and as soon as his touched the cage, it popped. His arm was around her waist and he pulled her to his side with a sharp tug.

"Dumbledore must not have believed that I would actually turn an object of Gryffindor's into a Horcrux. Yes, the house is simply idiotic, but I like the trinkets." He momentarily glanced down at Krista with a shady smirk. She knew that his Horcrux was not the only thing he was referring to.

"I am not a trinket!" She growled and attempted to pull away from him.

He silenced her with a nonverbal _Silencio_, and she cursed that the damn sun was out.

"No, Potter, she is not my Horcrux. Although, she is what I used to gain my Horcrux. Her death was not in vain."

"But she's not dead! How can you explain that?" Harry shouted with vigor.

"I was wondering if her resurrection had affected the state of my Horcrux, but apparently, it has not. How was she resurrected? I will find the answer and use it to benefit myself."

Harry breathed deeply through his nose, his nostrils flaring. "Let her go."

Voldemort's grip on Krista tightened possessively. "Why? What is she to you?"

"An innocent person who hasn't done anything wrong," he answered with a heroic undertone in his voice.

"_Innocent_?" Voldemort laughed again, giving even more chills to the captive audience. "She is anything _but _innocent. She has been taken by me several times and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it."

Krista glared up at him, angry tears swarmed her eyes, but he paid no heed. He was right, except for that one time down in the Chamber. She had avoided him at all costs after that.

"There's no need to get off subject though, but I am sure you would _love_ to hear about my personal life, as Dumbledore did."

Harry clenched the Elder Wand in his hand, and Voldemort eyed it with greed. "You cannot kill me, Potter, but _I _will kill you."

Then Voldemort apparated with Krista at his side, and the battle was over.

But not the war.

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**Author's Note: This has been the longest chapter yet!**

**Chapter 26: _The Flaw in the Plan_ was used to write this chapter. **

**Review Replies: **

**RainbowSkittles123: Your review made me hyper. You should have seen me. I ran outside in my knickers! No, no, I'm kidding. I'd at least put a shirt on. I really should have put a warning in the beginning saying: SPOILER ALERT! HARRY 'DIES'! Krista has really matured since the beginning of Heir of Gryffindor, which is probably why she isn't too mary-sue-ish. It's fun to write Tom, and Voldemort is such a chatterbox! **

**Candie Eddlir: Yes, I'm trying to make you cry. I love it when people cry while reading my FanFiction. It makes me feel accomplished. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I make any profit off of Harry Potter. **

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**Chapter 10**

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He drummed his fingers on his desk impatiently, waiting for the reports. He had heard from the Light side that the battle hadn't gone too well. El was several minutes late!

"Sorry, boss, I got a bit stuck in traffic." A dark figure entered the room, chuckling slightly.

"That outfit is a bit much, El. You're supposed to blend into the crowd, not the shadows. You're not a ninja," he said and sighed, shaking his head. El was always a bit much.

"I know, but you know me." He took off his hood and ruffled his dark hair.

"What reports do you have?" the other man said.

The grin that was previously on El's face disappeared. "Ah, well, the battle didn't go so well. I was sure that..." he trailed off.

"Sure that what? Don't tell me that you're making your own plans again. Every time ends in failure."

"No, boss! It's just that," he bit his pale lips and continued, "oh, how do I put this? She's back, Ansel."

Ansel Lovegood lifted an eyebrow. The only one that was visible, that is. The other was cloaked in a thick eye patch, hiding his scarred eye. "Who? Who's back?"

"Krista Lovegood, your wife."

Ansel slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "Impossible! She's been dead for fifty years! That idiot with an over-inflated ego killed her!" He looked down at the table with his blurred eye. "He used her, then killed her."

"I know my idiot brother was an idiot." Liddell said, his voice dull as he spoke about his younger brother.

The door slammed open, revealing a dark blonde boy with emerald eyes. "We all know that, Liddell. The whole Wizarding World knows that, and the Muggles are going to find out soon enough."

"Well, if it isn't Million, or should I say Maximilian?" Liddell turned his head and smiled at Maximilian.

"Quiet, the both of you!" Ansel shouted and they both obeyed immediately. An angry Ansel was not what they needed . "I-I need time to think. Leave."

Maximilian went back out the door, and Liddell followed, glancing once more before closing the doors.

oOo

"_Avada Kedavra!" Tom hissed and watched as the green light shot out, which was briefly followed by a sickening thud to the ground. _

_The eyes that were once so full of life were gone, replaced by these dead ones. _

_He knelt down next to her dead body and his hands dived into her pockets. Finding what he was searching for, he pulled out Gryffindor's compass._

_He placed the compass over her heart and stood. He pointed his wand down at her heart and focused his energy on her body._

"_Morsala!"_

_He screamed as he felt his soul separate from his body and enter the brave Founder's compass. _

_Looking down at the body with a sick grin, he knew she was not useless. She had been there for his pleasure, and had benefited to gaining immortality. _

Now he stared down at her again, but this time she was breathing and very much alive.

oOo

Krista looked around frantically. He seemed to have apparated them to a very large bathroom. The walls were made of black marble, and the room was only lit by candles. Wax dripped onto the marble, and the bathwater looked steaming.

"You are in need of a bath," he said behind her in a cold, empty voice. Krista already knew she was dirty. Her hair was greasy and her scalp itched. Her head turned and she glared at him.

"Don't you have the decency to turn around?" she snarled at the snake-like man.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before," he said snidely and made no move to turn.

Scoffing, she whipped her head back and undid the button on her robes. She stripped down until she was in nothing but her undergarments. Bending her arm awkwardly around her back, she unhooked her bra and pulled it off. Covering both breasts with her arm, she fumbled with her panties with the other.

After successfully slipping the thin fabric off, she stepped into the water with her right leg, testing it. It wasn't as hot as it appeared to be. It was more of a lukewarm temperature.

She let herself sink down under the water completely, the water washing over her scalp. She rose to the surface and brushed her hands back over her head, slicking her hair back.

The faint innocuous sound of fabric hitting the floor was startling in its unobtrusiveness.

She turned her head and stared at Voldemort's naked body. Along with no hair being on his head, none was down there either. She visibly swallowed and turned three shades of red as she stared. He had _grown_. It stood at half mast and it seemed to harden further as she watched.

"Thirteen inches," he gloated proudly at her staring.

"Th-that has to be impossible," she stuttered and twitched.

"Anything is possible when it comes to magic." And, however corny it was, it was true.

She noticed how his body contrasted with the black marble of the bathroom, making him the center object.

She sank further into the water, seeking a place of refugee. He padded forward, but she did not watch. His pale leg came into her view and lowered itself into the translucent water, standing out sharply against the black bathtub.

He lowered himself gracefully into the other side of the large bath, till he reclined comfortably curled against the black stone. His legs were at each side of her own, her own legs coming up to his knees. If she tried, she could actually kick him where it hurt. But she found that she didn't _want _to. Truth be told, she just wanted this relaxing bath.

He had his eyes shut in peace, and she discovered that he seemed more relaxed than he had ever been before.

At this moment his eyes opened. Shiny red jewels scrutinized her silently.

After a minute or so, he let them slip close again. He had just come from a battle, and he needed his rest. But that _thing _between his thighs didn't look at peace, and she felt the sudden urge to touch it.

She leaned forward, the water splashing slightly, and ran her fingertips up his smooth thighs. Looking over his face, she observed on how one of his eyes cracked open, glazed in curiosity. A satisfied smirk grazed his lips.

Looking back down, she drew circles closer to his fully erected member. Along with the length, the width was also above average. If she put her hand around it, there would be at least two inches between the tips of her thumb and index finger.

"You have never been this willing, Lovegood."

She pulled back sharply as her eyes widened. Ansel. She looked down at her blue ring on her left finger. She was still married.

This was adultery.

"It's not like you have not done it before." His voice met empty ears. He had opened both of his eyes now, gazing with amusement.

"What happened to him?" Krista asked, unable to meet his accusing eyes.

"To whom?" His mocking question was answered by her fierce glare.

She clenched her hands into fists as angry tears found their way into her eyes. "Tell me," she growled through her teeth.

Chuckling, he told her, "Your _darling _husband has gone into hiding like the coward he is. He has sent assassins out to kill me, but all in vain. I had an encounter quite a few years back and I left a rather nasty scar on his left eye. I seem keen on leaving scars." As he said this, his eyes roved over the lightning bolt scar on her cheek.

"Ansel is _not _a coward! If anyone is, it would be you!" she shouted angrily. She gasped as she felt his thin, spidery hands clenched around her neck. He had leaned forward slightly and had grasped her thin throat.

Scooting forward so that he was towering over her, his scarlet eyes glared down at her. "Do not _ever _call me a coward."

Tears had made their way into her eyes and she nodded ever so slightly.

Instead of letting her go, he dragged her down and she desperately gasped for air before being completely under water. Her tears mixed with the water of the bath.

His grip on her throat loosened so that she was not being choked, but still, she could not breath. She thrashed wildly for a few moments before giving up, staring at his blurred image. Too focused on the fact that she needed air, she did not take notice to his hardness pressed against her flat stomach.

Her lungs felt as if they were on fire. It was too soon to die after just coming back from the dead, wasn't it?

Her mouth parted, and small bubbles of air left her mouth. Water replaced the tiny bubbles, and it made her feel better. But only for a few moments.

Again, her lungs felt consumed by flames. Her eyes scrunched shut and her whimper of pain was muffled. Then she felt something pressed against her mouth. With shock, she realized it was Voldemort's own mouth. With such thin lips, it felt a bit off. But nonetheless, she accepted the kiss with bliss. His tongue swiped against her lower lip, urging her to open to him. She did, and she was never so thankful for air.

Even when he brought her back above the water, the kiss did not cease.

When they finally parted, she breathed through her mouth deeply. Then he grabbed her arm and Apparated them from the bath.

* * *

**A/N: Now, this chapter was really different than the last. I suppose the after-battle scenes are rather lazy. **

**Review replies:**

**Candie Eddlir: You did that all during one chapter? The villain is impressed. **

**RainbowSkittles123: Ah, romance you say? First they would have to put aside their differences and hate for each other, and Krista will indeed make things difficult for Tom/Voldemort.**

**Kenshim Himura28: There. That's what happened to Ansel. **

**DON'T GO YET! I'd like to recommended a bloody _fantastic _FanFiction to all of you. It's called _Pure Hearts and Stained Wings _by Candie Eddlir. Look it up and review, please! Maybe she would update faster... **


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

**Chapter 11**

They Apparated into an equally dark place. Perhaps he felt secure in dark places? She sure didn't. Not with him. Never with him. Now that she was out of the water, her head felt more clear. Why did she kiss him?

She pushed herself away, her hands on his shoulders. "You nearly killed me!"

"I only showed you your place," was his answer.

"Wait a second, no, no no! You've already killed me! Why not do it again!"

"You haven't given me a reason to kill you a second time," he said as he pushed her down to the bed, slowly crawling on top of her. Krista's eyes darted around, searching for an escape. The bed itself was huge, and she tried not to wonder why. While the bed took up one corner, the farthest left corner, all the other furniture were placed opposite.

She looked back up at him and shivered. He wasn't unattractive, but he didn't look human. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed how he looked before. She squeezed her thighs together, not wanting to give in.

He looked down at her with amusement before wrapping his long fingers around her legs and pulling them apart. The cold air met her wet skin and she shivered again. He settled between her thighs and teased her with his length.

Gritting her teeth and scrunching her eyes closed, she turned her head away. He had used her many times before, but she knew that this would be different from all the others.

Then, she felt him pull away. She opened her eyes and looked at him in question. "What?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You looking like that doesn't do any good."

She blinked and raised a brow. "Well, you can't blame me. You look like a bloody snake."

"A snake, am I?" He sounded amused. "Let me show you something..." he trailed off while closing his eyes. Suddenly his body grew thinner and rounder, and she widened her eyes. After finishing his transformation, he looked at her with the eyes of a snake.

He wasn't as big as Nagini had been before she died, but was as menacing as ever. What confused her was that he took the form of a black snake, instead of white. Black did suit him more, she thought as she remembered his mop of thick, black hair.

She was brought out of her thoughts as he rubbed against her pussy, his smooth scales giving her a sweet, pleasure-filled sensation. His head slithered between her breasts and he stared at her heated face while moving against her. Krista whimpered as she felt herself become more aroused and her hips jerked upwards.

"Please," she breathed.

He smirked, which looked really unnatural on a snake. Then he stood tall, making sure to press against her clit as he transformed back.

She gasped and stared, her lips parting slightly.

There, looking as handsome and devilish as ever, was the Tom Riddle she knew. His pitch black hair with a slight curl, the pale skin, the high cheek bones, the chest that wasn't too muscular but just right. Though, the red eyes didn't go away. He looked like the devil himself.

"Tom." The name escaped from her mouth, she didn't even know she said it until he spoke.

"No, Lord Voldemort." A twisted grin etched across his face, then he threw her legs over his shoulders and slammed into her. She cried out in pain and pleasure, and she found that she couldn't do much in this position. So she just lied there while he rocked back and forth, grunting with each thrust. He looked down and smirked, enjoying his dominance over her. His thrusts gradually grew harder and faster, so hard that Krista soon found herself wedged between him and the headboard.

Her thighs were against her breasts, her knees above his shoulders, and her lower legs draped over his back. She gasped and moaned at each thrust of his. The magic of the two heirs swirled together and danced their forbidden dance as the candles flickered, and soon they were blown out by the magic. The swirls of red and green were the only source of light in the room, but neither noticed.

Krista's orgasm came unexpectedly and she clenched around his cock in ecstasy, throwing her head back against the headboard, exposing her neck to him.

Lord Voldemort took this as an invite and grinned, exposing two sharp, snake-like fangs. He dove down and bit into her neck, claiming her as his. Krista screamed as she felt his fangs sink into her neck, and he reveled in them. Then he withdrew after a few more thrusts, not bothering to wipe away the blood from his mouth as he shuddered and filled her with his seed. At that moment, the red and green swirls of magic disappeared.

Krista panted and watched as blood trickled down to her heaving breasts. "What... did you do?"

He looked out of breath as well. "I've only claimed you as mine." His voice sounded just the same as it had in Hogwarts. Silky, cold, seductive...

"We are not animals!"

He raised an eyebrow. "We are all animals, but some are more savage than others."

Then, he exited her and lied on his side, watching her from half-lidded eyes. She looked to the side and glared. "So I'm stuck here?"

The Dark Lord smirked lazily. "You're my prize."

Krista scoffed and rolled onto her side, her back to him. She didn't expect his arm to wound around her stomach and pull her to his front. And despite on how much she hated it, he did feel so right spooning her.

But the war was not over.

She would fight.

* * *

**A/N: IMPORTANT: Who else is excited for Deathly Hallows Part 2? I AM! I AM! I felt like getting this out before July 15th. I'm going to the midnight premier dressed as Voldemort! I would go as Krista, but no one would get it. I got the robes for Voldy anyway. Hope you guys didn't mind the shortness of the chapter, but the lemon made up for it, right? NOW GO READ CANDIE EDDLIR'S FANFIC! And follow me MagikJoker on Twitter so you can bug me to update. **

**Review Replies: (gotta keep these short since I chose four)**

**RainbowSkittles123: Ansel hater! D: *giggles* Liddell wasn't killed, Krista must not have a good aim. You wanted handsome Voldy? You got handsome Voldy!**

**Candie Eddlir: And I've recommended it again. Let's see how Krista reacts to seeing Ansel again. **

**DarkJewelRomani: I- I got you to break your rule? Wow... Thanks! I appreciate it! **

**Honey Luna: YAY! I've missed your reviews! And will Tom see Krista more than a toy? I gotta keep him in character, but we'll see. ;) **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

**.**

**Chapter 12**

**.**

She woke up the next morning, feeling sore from her waist down. Looking to her right, she noticed Tom had left. She brought her hand to her neck and winced. She sat up and stood, walking to the mirror. She frowned. There were two puncture wounds and a dark bruise forming on her neck.

He was more of a snake than she had thought. But now he had his normal, human appearance back. Somehow, the inhuman look suited him more. Even though she was much more used to his handsome looks, he was too evil for them. It made her wonder why God had sculpted him like that. No, it must have been Satan who had made him. He wanted to confuse and play with mortals by creating him.

She sighed. No, that wasn't right. She usually wasn't one to doubt her faith. She always went along with everyone else. Hogwarts was a multi-faith school, and Ansel had been Roman Catholic.

She felt guilty when she thought of Ansel. He had loved her, but she still had attractions for Tom. She had practically just cheated on him. But they weren't still married, were they? Till death do us part...

She wondered if there was a hidden door in here. Either that or Tom apparated in or out. She closed her eyes and spun on the spot.

Nothing happened.

She growled in frustration. She was without use of magic. Now she felt as low as a Muggle. Krista mentally slapped herself. There was nothing wrong with being a Muggle. Magic was not necessary to live, but it did make it a hell lot easier.

Then she felt the sudden need for a bathroom. As if the room had read her thoughts, the scenery suddenly changed. No longer was she in the dark bedroom, but instead a bathroom. Well, toilet room. There was no bath, only a toilet and a sink. This room was marble white, almost the exact opposite of the room with the bath.

After doing her business, she washed her hands. The soap smelled absolutely divine. Then she appeared back in the bedroom. _Interesting_, she thought.

She did not have anything else to do, so she walked over to a bookshelf, chose a book that seemed less dark from all the others, and began reading.

Several hours passed until Voldemort finally arrived back in his room. He had almost forgotten about his little lioness. Almost. Looking around the room, he noticed her sleeping form on the mattress.

He then removed his glamor that made him look like a serpent and approached the bed. His serpentine look was just that. For looks. He wanted to scare people, not attract them. He knew that if he used his handsome features, followers would only look at his body. No fear would be struck in them.

He crawled onto the bed. He had spent his day away from her and found her as he left her. Sleeping. Though he would very much like to ravage her little body, he would rather join her in slumber. He, Lord Voldemort, was tired.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard, "Tom?"

That name made him bristle in anger and disgust.

"What?" he said through clenched teeth.

"I.. I was bored today."

"So?" He did not care if she was bored. She had plenty of books to read. Yes, they were dark books filled with savage spells and things her mind probably could not comprehend, but still, books.

"So I don't want to stay here."

"Look, Lovegood," he sneered then smirked at the guilt that shown in her eyes. "I am not giving you the option to stay or go. You stay here, read, and-"

"And what? Be bored out of my mind? I don't think so."

She was really getting on his last nerves. Interrupting him, being disrespectful, the girl had some nerve...

"If you read, you won't be bored!" he snapped at her.

"Maybe I find your books boring!" Fire blazed in her eyes and she snapped back at him.

"No," he spoke in a deathly whisper, "my books are not boring."

The fire in her eyes was still there, but she remained silent.

"Now, go back to sleep," he ordered.

"That's what I'm doing," was her mumbled reply.

He rolled his eyes and turned his back to her.

The snake and the lioness would never get along.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, readers! Sorry for such a delay, and for giving you a short chapter, but I've been busy... with other ideas. So if you would like to stop by my FictionPress account, which I go under the same pen name, TomRiddleCrazy, and read my original stories, I would appreciate it! I have three stories, and _need _support! My stories are _Insanity is a Fox, Captive Audience, _and _The Red Cape_. **


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